TCPL Partners With Cornell University for Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon

An image that shows Harriet and Dred Scott, two enslaved people who sued for their freedom in 19th century America leading to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that was a catalyst to the Civil War. Text reads Douglass Day 2026.

TCPL Partners With Cornell University for Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon

Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with Cornell University, will join organizations across the world in celebrating the life of abolitionist and civil rights icon Frederick Douglass by hosting a transcribe-a-thon on Friday, February 13. The program will run from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room at the Library’s location at 101 East Green Street in Ithaca.

The transcribe-a-thon gives community members the chance to join forces with others from locations around the world in transcribing an unprecedented collection of records from the historic Colored Conventions movement. These materials have been digitized and made available through collaborations with the non-profit Zooniverse platform.

The goal of the 10th annual transcribe-a-thon, which coincides with Douglass’s chosen birthday on February 14, is to make materials more easily accessible, as well as to promote awareness of parts of Black history.

Those in attendance at TCPL will be transcribing via Zooniverse.org, a citizen science platform led by the Adler Planetarium. The video stream of the worldwide event, which includes singing, presentations, dramatic readings, and a bake-off will also be available on the big screen in the BorgWarner Community Room. Previous celebrations can be viewed on the official Douglass Day YouTube channel.

Cornell University Library will host an additional Douglass Day transcribe-a-thon on Thursday, February 19, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Olin Library room 107. Learn more on Cornell University Library's website.